DEFENCE MINISTER ADDRESSES HOT TOPICS AT LUNCHEON WITH GERMAN BUSINESS COMMUNITY

From terrorism to territorial claims, National Service (NS) to geopolitical issues.

Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen addressed these as guest speaker at the Singapore-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (SGC) business luncheon at Mandarin Orchard, on 11 Jun.

Themed "The security-strategic landscape of Singapore, ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), and Asia in the past 50 years and the future," the luncheon provided a platform for members of SGC to gain insights on interesting topics and trends.

The first issue raised was that of terrorism, specifically the issue of radicalisation and that of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). When asked about his thoughts on the reform programmes that Singapore had to de-radicalise radical individuals, Dr Ng was realistic in recognising the scale of the threat of radicalised individuals, but said there were adequate measures in place to counter the threat.

Moving on to the topic of NS in Singapore, when asked if the duration of NS would be shortened, Dr Ng replied that it would be unlikely. If NS was made too short, and as a result of that, soldiers were not properly trained, the SAF could not adequately mount a defence for Singapore, "then we would have wasted generations and years of NS, you might as well not have done it - if we want to do it, we have to do it properly", he said.

Dr Ng noted however, that the Ministry of Defence had, in fact, reduced the duration of NS, with the advent and implementation of modern technology to increase efficiency.

When asked about his views on the territorial claims in the South China Sea, Dr Ng stated that Singapore was not a claimant state and took no sides in the territorial disputes. He said it was important that usage of the South China Sea was not interrupted:

"(Singapore's) interest is that while these disputes are being adjudicated, there shouldn't be disruption to this major waterway which is a lifeline of international trade 60 percent of international trade goes through this strategic waterway."

Concluding the discussion, Dr Ng noted the strong ties between Singapore and Germany. He said the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) was now using German-made tanks and would soon be operating German-made submarines. SAF personnel also trained in Germany during Exercise Panzer Strike. He said these were testament to the strong relations between the two countries.

The debate was moderated by Vice-President of SGC Board Mak Swee Wah. Also present at the luncheon was German Ambassador to Singapore Dr Michael Witter and his Deputy Head of Mission Dr Steffen Koch.